World Peas CSA – Week Three

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 by Marianne 2 Comments

This week’s share contained arugula, cabbage, collard greens, garlic chives, garlic scapes, lettuce, summer squash & zucchini!  If you look closely, you’ll see that there is no lettuce in this picture – I gave it to a fellow shareholder who “never has enough.” That right there is a win/win! I bought the milk at Richardson’s Dairy, located right in front of the farm – I think it’s going to be a weekly thing.  Alas, there is no fruit in this week’s share because it has been raining so much that local strawberries have succumbed to the rot and slugs that endless rain and humidity bring.

Speaking of rain, yesterday was, as those of you in the Merrimack Valley know, another rainy day at the farm.  For those of you not in New England, we have been going through a rainy spell something fierce.  I heard this morning on the weather that rain fell on 20 out of June’s 30 days.  To put that in perspective – right now it is raining.  It rained yesterday, Monday and Sunday.  The sun came out for a few hours on Saturday, then it was cloudy and then it rained.  Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, and Tuesday – all rainy.  That pattern has basically been the entire month of June.

While I was at the farm, I planned what I was going to make with my veggies.  This week’s menu is pretty tight and, I have to confess, I am wondering if I am up to the challenge.  See, Gist and I are leaving to go to Jamaica on Friday and we won’t return until Tuesday.  That means that I have to use the whole box by Thursday night.  Here’s my plan for everything:

• Arugula – will top a Beans & Greens Pizza tonight.
• Cabbage – will be made into a slaw/salad for lunches.
• Collard Greens – will go into a garlic scapes and greens frittata on Thursday night.
• Garlic Chives – went into last night’s Spaghetti with Zucchini and Lemon and will be made into pesto to freeze for later.
• Garlic Scapes – will go into the white bean spread for the pizza and the frittata.
• Summer Squash & Zucchini – both were used last night in Spaghetti with Zucchini and Lemon.

With that plan in mind, I stopped at Richardson’s Dairy and picked up a quart of milk, $1.05 for the milk plus a $.75 deposit for the glass bottle, and then I headed to Hannaford and bought:

• 4 bagels for $2.59
• 1 wedge of Fontal for $6.11
• 1 bottle of canola oil for $2.19
• 1 can of great northern beans for $.54
• 1 ib. of linguini for $.87
• 1 bag of slivered almonds for $3.99
• 1 botle of rice vinegar for $3.29
• 1 bunch of scallions for $.49

Hannaford total?  $20.07.  Hannaford plus milk total? $21.87, and I’m thinking/hoping that may be my grocery shopping for the week.

So far, I’m right on target.  I made Spaghetti with Zucchini and Lemon for supper last night and I have to take a moment to praise the fact that it really is a quick meal to prepare.  Last night was hectic, to say the least.  I left the farm at 6:45, went to Richardson’s and Hannaford and made it home by 7:15 because I had to show our house/cat sitter how to give Sebb’s insulin injections.  After we all took turns shooting up poor Sebb with sterile water and going over any quirky cat/house things, it was about 7:45.  I put away the groceries and started supper and, no joke, supper was on the table just as the Steller’s Jay that lives in my bird clock was announcing 8:00.  The thing that took the longest?  Boiling the water for and cooking the pasta.

Posting around these parts will be pretty light to non-existent for the next week or so.  Most of the meals I’m making this week are repeats, but I am going to be fussing with the white bean purée that goes on the Beans & Greens Pizza and, if it’s a good as I hope it will be, I’ll share the recipe.  I am also not going to be at the farm next week because I’ll be on my way home from Jamaica and while I’ll miss being at the farm, I am also really, really looking forward to my trip!

Gist and I are heading south for a friend’s wedding, we’ll be in Ocho Rios.  I think the trip is going to be totally awesome because I am completely over-the-top delighted about the wedding itself, some of my absolute favorite children will be there, I’ll be taking a lot of pictures, our resort has both a mini-bar AND something called a “liquor dispenser” in it (I have no idea why you would need both, but I’m looking forward to finding out!), and I am told that that golden orb called the sun shines in Jamaica.  Oh, and I’m also going to be swimming with dolphins.

I hope that everyone has a lovely week and, if you’re in the U.S., a nice Independence Day holiday.  I’ll catch you on the flip, hopefully with a tan!

Advertisement